Page 47 of Vengeance

“The king. It’s the most important piece on the board. You corner it, the game is over. And yet, the most powerful piece on the board is the queen.” I look in Dele’s direction, now talking to someone else. “She can move in whatever direction she wants. As far as she can and wants across the board. She can go places and do things that the king cannot. Even though he’s the most important piece on the board. She’s so critical, that in some cases, to carelessly lose her means the end of the game. She’s the only piece other than the king that you only get one of.”

Well, unless you manage to make a pawn into a queen and, honestly, it’s a more apt description of Dele. But that’s not the point I’m making right now.

I look away from Dele to give the men around me a pointed look.

“Dele is my queen. She best serves me when I don’t try to keep her locked in a pretty cage. My most powerful ally and soldier. Sure, I can shoot a gun. But look at her out there,” I say nodding my head to her. “She’s doing her obligatory rounds and probably cataloging everything she learns about them for future use or to come back to tell me if she finds it particularlyinteresting.

“Andifsomeone were to get through your security and attack right now oriffor some reason you decided to turn on us, she’d take her guns from under her dress and take out twelve men singlehandedly because that’s just how good I made her. I’m not sure you can say that same about your pretty smiling wives. They’re little more than sitting ducks ripe for the taking, and without their mothers to protect them, so would all your little children.”

No one says a words when I’m done. All silent. No smiles. Just glares at me.

Finally, Sabino says, “What the fuck are you getting at Blake?”

“That’s Fantoni. Per our agreement. We’re family now. Remember?”

And now that we’re family, I don’t have to hold my tongue in an effort to be polite. Politeness is for strangers.

I sip my alcohol and chuckle. “For fuck’s sake, I’m just playing around. Don’t you have a sense of humor? Smile a little.”

They don’t. Good. It’s time they begin to comprehend what happened today. They just let the god damned poisonous snake into their garden. I am the Viper after all.

I set my glass down on the table and go to where Dele is.

I set my hand on her waist and pull her into my side when I step next to her. I place a kiss on the side of her head and say, “Ready to go?”

She turns to look at me with a smile and says, “Just been waiting for you to come get me.”

21

Dele

“I

’m surprised you didn’t come to get me earlier,” I say as Viper leads us out the area of the villa where the wedding reception was held.

“I was just getting know our cousins.”

“Were you?”

“Yes,” he says, sounding a little too innocent for my liking.

“Viper.”

Suddenly, Viper grabs me and shoves me back against the wall.

“No more talking,” he says before pressing his lips hard against mine.

I instinctively melt into him. Heat flaring in my body as my hands find the front of his tuxedo to pull him even closer to me than he already is, desperately needing to get this off him and my dress off and have his hot skin against mine. How tempted I was earlier, to let him whisk me away right after the ceremony. To let him take me to an alcove before the reception. To lift my wedding dress to my waist and fuck me.

I don’t know how I said no to him and forced us both to behave.

“I need you,” he says. “It’s been too long.”

We’ve been apart for long times. The longest being during my pregnancy. But not like this. Not being in proximity and near each other for an entire month and barely touching each other. But planning an attack against a mob boss, giving birth, and taking care of a newborn in addition to three more children will keep a couple apart naturally.

I feel him start to lift the hem of my dress. I stay his hands with mine.

“What?” he asks, pulling away to look at me with intense eyes.

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